At an event at the White House, US First Lady Melania Trump said on Thursday that she hopes the humanitarian ceasefire in the city of Alyoshki in Kherson region will become a starting point for a broader peace. According to her, any significant transformation begins with a small spark, and what matters is not the modesty of the undertaking but the determination to turn it into something extraordinary.
Invited to the event were the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, and the Russian human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova.
Melania Trump noted that she had joined the work on resolving the humanitarian crisis in Alyoshki back in September of this year, because she realized the full seriousness of the situation there. She added that her contacts with Russia and Ukraine had been extensive, professional, detailed and based on close cooperation. The US first lady thanked Dmitriev for his professionalism and Lantratova for her assistance to those affected in Alyoshki.
Alyoshki is located on the left bank of the Dnieper opposite Kherson, which is controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had mined the approaches to this city, creating what was virtually a humanitarian catastrophe there. He noted the contribution of US First Lady Melania Trump to organizing the humanitarian mission in Alyoshki, aimed at providing assistance to the civilian population.
In connection with the humanitarian operation in the Alyoshki area, the Russian army ceased fire on the Kherson direction from 04:00 Moscow time on October 27. Russian military personnel demined the road to Alyoshki, and on October 30 humanitarian aid was delivered to the city, including food, medicines, hygiene supplies and fuel. Residents who wanted to leave were given that opportunity.
Summing up, Lantratova reported that the ceasefire regime for the humanitarian mission in Alyoshki was fully observed and everything passed without incidents. She thanked the US first lady for her assistance and coordination of the humanitarian mission and asked her to make such missions regular. Dmitriev also noted the US first lady's contribution to the agreement on a ceasefire in Alyoshki.